"Our state and our nation have lost a powerful voice for reason and creative solutions in public life. We both enjoyed the privilege to work with Senator Pell to put some of his vital ideas into practice. His gift was to make government see beyond today or even tomorrow. The opportunity he provided for hundreds of thousands of young people to pursue an education they could otherwise never have afforded has changed the face of American leadership and strengthened our country in the process. His influence on the arts and humanities will continue to enrich American culture for generations to come. Though he is gone, his ideas go on. For that, we all owe him the most profound thanks."